Would you like to tell us your name?Hi there! My name is Kelly Angeley.

How old are you?I just turned forty this year, which I find hard to believe.

What country are you born?I was born in the United States.

Where do you live now?I currently live on the west coast of the US in Florence, OR. It is a beautiful but rainy part of the world.

When did you start with this hobby? How did you start?My Grandmother gave me my first box of beads when I was about five years old. She taught me how to string beads. When I was in high school I went to my first bead store and bought some seed beads. I taught myself some basic stitches. Then, I went to my first Grateful Dead concert and purchased a beaded anklet. I knew I had to make one so, I went to a local bead store (where I later ended up working) and bought a book and supplies. I figured it out and I've been hooked ever since!

Who are three artists who inspire you the most?There are so many incredibly talented beaders in the world that it is hard to choose only three. But I think the three artists who have had the most influence in helping me finding my own creative voice are Laura McCabe, Marcia DeCoster and Sherry Serafini. I'm fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to take classes with all of them and really learned a great amount. They are such fantastic teachers and it really helped me to learn how to teach my own classes.

How many hours a week do you dedicate to this hobby?I work at least 40 hours a week but this also includes all of the other aspects involved in beading as a business such as filling orders, answering emails and dreaded paperwork.

Is this more than your hobby? Is it your job?I am very fortunate to have turned my hobby or addiction, into a full-time job. There isn't anything else I'd rather do, except maybe play my guitar!

What other hobbies do you have?As mentioned above, I play a bit of guitar. I still have much to learn but I love it as much as I love my beads.

Would you like to tell us a little bit more about you?I just finished writing my first beadweaving book yesterday which is a really exciting thing for me, a dream come true, really. It's been a year-long process and I feel like I really turned a corner as an artist with my work. Interweave is publishing it and it should be out in the fall of 2013 but I don't know if I can wait that long!I teach classes around the US at various bead stores as well as bead shows such as Bead & Button, Bead Fest and Puget Sound Bead Festival. My work has been featured in several books including a brand new book due out any day now, which I'm thrilled about. That book is Lark Book's 500 Beaded series by Ray Hemachandra. I feel so honored to be included amoung such an amazing group of artists. You can also find my work in several magazines such Beadwork, Bead & Button and Stringing.